Game-counter



(No Model) A. H. WILSON.

GAME COUNTER. No. 582,771. Patented May 18,1897.

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ME TABLE NOE Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMASA H. W'ILS ON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM F.BULKELY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,771, dated May 18,1897.

Application filed November 9, 1895. Serial No. 568,391. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMAsA H. \VILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 1111-.

- verse side of the game-counter embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a portion thereof, looking at the reverse side. Fig.3 is a longitudinal section of a gamecounter embodying the invention anddiffering slightly from the counter shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The device which forms the subject-matter of the present invention isdesigned more particularly for keeping account of the number of games ofcards won in contests, but it is not limited to this use and may be usedfor keeping account of other games. Since, however, it is designed,primarily, for cards, the following description will be confined to itsuse for this purpose.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap and at thesame time an attractive looking counter of such construction that whenused according to directions accompanying it itwill prevent theperpetration of fraud in keeping the score. In accomplishing this objectI have invented and produced a counter which has, in combination, anumber of consecutively-numbered coupons, one for each of the games ofthe series, and a pocket into which one of the coupons of the series isput for each game won. In order to prevent fraud in keeping the score,the coupons of the opposing sides are differentiated by some suitablemeansas, for example, by printing them upon paper of different colorsandthe instructions accompanying the counters require that at the finish ofeach game the losers shall surrender their coupons for that game to theWinners and the winners put the coupons thus surrendered and their owncoupons for the corresponding game into the pockets aforesaid. I preferto construct the pocket of a strip of paper folded twice in oppositedirections, resulting in three overlapping plies, which are perforatednear their edges for the passage of a string by which they are heldtogether, said string being preferably so arranged that it constitutesmeans whereby the counter may be secured to a part of the apparel of theplayer, and I prefer to continue this strip of paper of which the pocketis made and to print upon it the consecutively-numbered coupons.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are particularlypointed out in the claims, and in order that it may be fully understoodI will describe it with reference to the drawings,in which A representsa strip of paper folded upon itself at a and a in opposite directions,resulting in three plies A A A Preferably the ply A extends above thefold a, and the strip is again folded at a resulting in afourth ply APreferably the plies A and A are continued downward below the fold a andare provided with transverse rows of perforations 1), which divide themup into a number of coupons B. There is one of these coupons for eachgame of the series to be played, and they are preferably numberedconsecutively, beginning at 1 with the bottom coupon on the front ply A,so that as they are detached in succession their numbers will indicatethe number of games that have been played. If desired, a second strip 0may be placed against the back ply A and this second strip may be eithera single ply, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be doubled uponitself, as shown at c in Fig. 3, resulting in two plies, the one or theother being used, according to the number of coupons with which thecounter is to be provided. It will be understood that this second strip,like the one first aforesaid, is provided with transverse rows ofperforations by which it is divided up into detachable coupons, andthese coupons are numbered consecutively, the numbers of lowestdenomination being placed at the bottom of the strips.

The plies A and A which extend only a short distance down from the topof the front ply A, as well as ply A, are provided near their edges withperforations D, and above the top of the front ply A the upwardextensions of the other plies are provided with perforations D, throughall of which perforations the looped end 0 of a double cord E isthreaded, after which the cord is passed through its own loop, so as tobind the several plies together. The space xbetween the plies A and Aforms, in conjunction with the cord E, a pocket in which the detachedcoupons may be placed, as shown in Fig. 1, and there kept until theentire series of games has been played. Each of the counters isprovided, as at F, with a number indicating the number of the table atwhich the player begins the game, and at F with a number i11- dicatinghis position at that and the other tables.

As before stated, opposite sides are provided with counters that aredifferentiated, preferably by being 011 paper of different colors. Atthe expiration of each game of the series one of the coupons is detachedfrom the counter of each of the players, the losers surrendering theircoupons to the winners, who put them, together with the correspondingcoupons detached from their own counters, in the pockets 0c, and thenumber of duplicate coupons turned in by each player at the expirationof the series of games will indicate the number of games won.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As anewarti'cle of manufacture a gamecounter composed of a strip orstrips of detachable game-coupons and a separate strip folded uponitself and having both edges adjacent to the fold secured together toform a pocket to receive and hold the game-coupons when detached,substantially as described.

:2. In a game-counter the combination with a strip or strips ofdetachable game-coupons of a pocket formed of a folded strip of paperhaving both edges adjacent to the fold secured together by a cord lacedthrough the same and serving to suspend the same, substantially asdescribed.

3. As anew article of manufacture, agamecounter consisting of a strip ofpaper folded upon itself twice in opposite directions thereby formingthree plies, one ply being extended below the other plies and comprisinga number of coupons, and means for securing said plies together at theiredges, thereby forminga pocket for receiving the coupons when detached,substantially as set forth.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a gameeounter consisting of a stripof paper folded upon itself twice in opposite directions thereby formingthree plies, perforations formed through said plies, a cord lacedthrough said perforations and holding the plies together, whereby apocket is formed between them, and a series of coupons on an extensionof one of said plies, substantially as set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a gamecounter consisting of a stripof paper folded upon itself twice in opposite directions thereby formingthree plies, the front ply being extended below the other plies andprovided with a number of coupons, and the rear ply being extended abovethe frontply, the strip being again doubled upon itself at the upper endof said rear ply resulting in a fourth ply extending downward to thebottom of the front ply, this latter extension being also provided witha number of coupons, perforations formed through all of said plies neartheir edges, perforations formed through the upward extensions of thethird and fourth plies, and a cord laced through said perforations,substantially as set forth.

AMASA lI. \VILSON.

\Vitnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, S. E. SHARON.

